


On My Own

by ZoeBlaize



Category: DCU, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, M/M, just before Tim leaves Gotham, set during Red Robin, somewhere between friendship and more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 21:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/997087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeBlaize/pseuds/ZoeBlaize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim runs into an old friend on patrol. Except, why is Kon in Gotham?</p>
            </blockquote>





	On My Own

**Author's Note:**

> [see end notes for a spoilery trigger warning]

Tim wasn't technically done with his patrol, but it had been a quiet night and he'd made the loop of his area three times, so he decided he could pause for a few moments. He leaned against the wall around the roof and closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze.

"Hey Rob."

Tim spun nimbly on one foot to see Superboy standing behind him. The half-Kryptonian was casually leaning against an air conditioning unit with folded arms and a smile, as if he hadn't just caught the World's Second Greatest Detective by surprise.

"Kon! What are you doing here? How did you sneak up me?"

The smile widened, crinkling his unnaturally blue eyes distractingly. "Hey, I *am* a Luthor, after all. We're a sneaky breed," he said teasingly. 

Something seemed off, but Tim couldn't be bothered.

"It feels like forever since you last came to Gotham, particularly since you know B's policy on metas," Tim commented with a tiny smile, raising an eyebrow. Just saying those words raised a ghost of a half-memory in the back of his mind. "It feels like it's been a while since I saw you last at all," he added, his face wrinkling in thought. Something flickered at the edge of his vision, but Tim dismissed it, trying to think back to when he last saw his best friend and realizing he didn't know. All of his memories prior to the beginning of the night's patrol seemed a little fuzzy around the edges.

"Look, Rob, I think your boss could use a hand," said Kon, pointing to the side. Tim turned to look and realized that the flickering thing he'd ignored earlier must have been Dick's cape as he whirled and kicked out at the enormous gang of thugs he and the demon-spawn were currently fighting.

"You should go give them a hand. That's a lot of bad guys, even for Batman, and the little Robin-wannabe is probably as much of a distraction as he is a helper." Tim stared at the two, surrounded by opponents, as if hypnotized. "No," he murmured dreamily, "they don't need me. I should stay with you." Tim closed his eyes, feeling a sudden panic licking his heels at the thought of leaving Kon.

"Tim," suddenly Kon's voice was close, so close. The other boy must have moved directly behind Tim, but he never made a sound. "Tim, you can't stay here with me. You have to go to them."

"Dick doesn't need me. He said so. He took the Robin name away from me, gave it to that murderous child. If he really needed my help, he'd call me on the com." Tim's eyes opened, but stared downward, locked on his feet. As close as the roof of the building was to the alley next to it, he couldn't hear any sounds of fighting. As long as he didn't look towards the fight, he could pretend it was just he and Kon on the roof, passing the time on patrol like they used to.

"Tim, you can't stay here. You know you can't." Kon's voice was gentle, but insisting. Tim saw his feet step to press his body against Tim's, saw Kon's arms wrap around Tim's chest. He closed his eyes again.

"Tim, open your eyes. Your family needs you." Tim had _seen_ Kon's arms wrapped around him, but hadn't felt them. 

"--D ROBIN ANSWER ME NOW! PLEASE COME IN! JUST TELL ME IF YOU'RE ALL RIGHT-"

"I'm here, Oracle."

Alone on the rooftop, as he had been since he landed, Red Robin fired a grapple and swung down to join the fight.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the title refers to the Les Miserables song. My apologies. 
> 
> Trigger warning: major character death (well, sort of, Kon was dead the entire time).


End file.
